Berthe
Morisot --Cofounder of
Impressionism

Berthe Morisot was a woman that helped
to define Impressionism. She was born in 1841 in France and had taken
private art lessons throughout all of her childhood. Her instructor always
said that she was quite talented, and she knew that she had found her place in
life.

The Mother and
Sister of the Artist, 1869-70.

Another cofounder of the Impressionist movement, Eduard Manet, introduced her
to the new style. They became very close, and it wasn't long until Morisot
began to contribute to the movement also. As she became more involved with
it, her style drastically changed from solid and confined to loose and
expressive.

The
Cradle, 1872.

Berthe Morisot rarely painted public scenes. Instead, she
focused mainly on domestic subjects, especially her daughter Julie. She
also included her husband, Eugene Manet (Eduard's brother), in many of her
paintings.

Julie Manet and her greyhound Laertes, 1893.

During her lifetime, Morisot never fully gained the recognition
that she deserved. A critic was even quoted to have said of her,
"This woman's work is exceptional. Too bad she's not a
man!" Also, after her death in 1895, her death certificate states
that, "Mme Morisot was without any profession." I think it a
shame that so much talent went unrecognized until years after her death.